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Abraham in Non-Biblical Traditions
Brian M. Hauglid
Religious Studies Center Newsletter, Vol. 15, No. 1,
Fall 2000.
Nearly two millennia ago, Isaiah counseled those
who seek the Lord to look unto the rock whence ye are
hewn. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto
Sarah that bare you (Isa 51:1-2). Since Isaiahs day,
many have come to look upon Abraham as one of the
most prominent figures in religious history.
Significantly, Abraham is viewed today as the father
to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. In addition to
their scriptures, these three religions have also
produced a variety of nonbiblical traditions about
Abraham. Nonbiblical traditions are writings about
prophets, mostly biblical prophets, that were at first
orally transmitted and later written down. Many dealwith aspects of the lives of the prophets that the
scriptures do not address. Hence, it is advisable to
proceed with caution when using these materials.1
Latter-day Saints have been given extrabiblical
scriptures about Abraham in Book of Mormon, the
Doctrine and Covenants, and Abrahams own writings
contained in the Book of Abraham. The Book of
Abraham, especially, includes unique elements
concerning Abraham that are not found in the Old
Testament. Interestingly, nonbiblical traditions from
Judaism, Islam, and Christianity lend support to many
of these unique elements.
The following is a select list of elements about
Abraham from the Book of Abraham not found in the
biblical account.
1. Terahs idolatry (cf. Joshua 24:2): My father was led
away by their idolatry (Abr 1:27); My father
turned again unto his idolatry (Abr 2:5).
2. Abraham brought to be killed or sacrificed because
he would not worship idols: The priests laid
violence on me, that they might slay me (Abr 1:12;
cf Facsimile 1).
3. An angel came to rescue Abraham: The angel of hispresence stood by me, and immediately unloosed
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1 Note the Lords response to Joseph Smiths
question concerning the translation of the
Apocrypha (D&C 91).
my bands (Abr 1:15).
4. The priest (or leader) was smitten or died: The Lord
smote the priest that he died (Abr 1:20).
5. Abraham was knowledgeable about astronomy,
which he learned from ancient records: A
knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and
also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were
made known unto the fathers, have I kept even
unto this day (Abr 1:31).
6. Abraham was allowed to sit on a kings throne:
Facsimile 3, figure 1.
More unique elements are found in the Book of
Abraham, but these six will suffice for a comparison
with nonbiblical traditions.2
Some nonbiblical traditions parallel elements of the
Book of Abraham more obviously than others;
however, this is not an exercise to prove that the
Book of Abraham is true. A confirmation must, of
course, come through the Spirit.
There are at least two reasons for comparing
nonbiblical traditions with the Book of Abraham.
First, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, many
traditions were transmitted from early, even ancient,
periods and have most likely retained some elements
of antiquity. Support for the Book of Abraham as an
ancient text can be strengthened if some of the
nonbiblical traditions give further evidence that
many plain and precious things have been taken out
of the Bible (1 Ne 13:2829; cf. Moses 1:4041). This also
demonstrates that some of these plain and precious
things continued to circulate among ancient peoplesand were preserved (albeit in fragmentary form)
through later generations.
Terahs Idolatry
Terahs idolatry, as well as the general idolatry of
Abrahams day, is a common theme in the non-biblical
traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. For
example, in theBook of Jubilees, a Jewish text
written in the second centuryB.C., we read: And the
lad [Abraham] began understanding the straying of
the land, that everyone went astray after graven
2 For a list of unique elements as will as a
compilation of various traditions, see John A.
Tvedtnes, Brian M. Hauglid, and John Gee, eds.,
Traditions about Abraham Relevant to the Book of
Abraham(Provo, UT: FARMS, forthcoming).
images and after pollution. And his father taught him
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writing. And he was two weeks of years old.3 And he
separated from his father so that he might not
worship the idols with him.4
In an early-fifth-century Christian text by
Epiphanius (died A.D. 403), bishop of Salamis on the
island of Cyprus, we read, Terah had set up a rival to
God by making one [idol] with his own sculpture,5
and in an eighth-century Muslim text: Azar [Terah]
used to make idols which his people worshipped.6
Other traditions suggest Terah had once repented and
then turned back to his idolatry. In Apocalypse of
Abraham26.3, Abraham is asked, Why did your
father Terah not obey your voice and abandon the
demonic worship of idols until he perished, and all
his house with him?
Abraham Brought to Be Killed and Rescued by an
Angel; Perpetrators Killed
In nonbiblical traditions Abraham refuses to
worship the idols of his father and the people and
consequently is ordered by a wicked king, most often
Nimrod, to be bound and cast into a fire. A general
outline of the story of Abraham will explain the
circumstances that led up to this event.
The Abraham stories usually follow a similar format:
Astrologers tell Nimrod that a boy would be born in
his kingdom who will threaten his idolatry and rule.
Nimrod gives an edict that all infant boys are to be
killed. Abrahams mother, fearing this edict, hides the
newborn Abraham in the cave where he was born.
Abraham is miraculously preserved, receiving
sustenance by sucking his fingers or through angelic
ministration. Abraham ages at a rapid pace. He leaves
the cave and sees the sun, moon, and stars and comes to
the realization (revelation) that the king and his
people are laboring in idolatry. Abraham preaches
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3 Most traditions relate that Abraham grew
in a day as if a month and a month as if a year. In this
tradition, Abraham appears to be fourteen years old,
one year per day in a two-week period.
4Jubilees 11:16. This tradition, as well as all
others cited in this study, can be found in the
forthcoming Traditions about Abraham.
5Proem II3.7.
6 Ishaq ibn Bishr, al-Mubtada;MS
Huntington 388, folio 165B:78; my translation.
against the idols of the people.
Many of the stories have Abraham going into the
kings palace, or into Terahs home, and smashing all
of the idols with an axe, leaving the axe in the hands
of the largest idol. When the people return, they ask
Abraham who destroyed the idols. Abraham tells them
that the largest idol destroyed the smaller idols. The
people see their folly in worshipping idols thatcannot move, see, or hear, but they become angry with
Abraham for exposing their idolatry. Nimrod then
commands that Abraham be thrown into a fire. The
people are commanded to gather as much wood as
possible. A large bonfire is lit, and it burns so hot that
no one can get near it. In fact, some people try to
throw Abraham into the fire but are burned and die.
So a catapult is built to which Abraham is fastened,
and he is propelled into the air toward the fire. An
angel meets Abraham in the air and accompanies him
into the fire. The fire changes into a meadow or
garden, or sometimes into water. Only the bands
which bind Abraham are burned, thus setting himfree. Abraham then enjoys a conversation with the
angel. Nimrod asks Abraham to come out to him. He
confesses to Abraham that he is very close to
worshipping Abrahams God but cannot because he
would lose his kingdom.
This brief outline of the nonbiblical traditions
contains several of the previously listed unique
elements in the Book of Abraham: Abrahams life is in
jeopardy, an angel rescues him, and perpetrators are
killed. Examples from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
written traditions giving some form of the above
outline are numerous. Some of these traditions varyconsiderably from each other, but the general outline
is the same.
Even in oral tradition we can see this form of the
story. For example, while traveling in Turkey
recently I visited Urfa (ancient Ur), the traditional
birthplace of Abraham, and learned of a Muslim oral
tradition of Abraham being cast into a fire. Gabriel
accompanies Abraham into the fire, which turns into
water. The logs of the fire are then transformed into
carp. In Urfa, very near a cave where Abraham was
traditionally said to have been born, is a pool of
water with many carp. To this day, Muslims believe
that these carp are descended from those that were
transformed from the logs in the fire.
Abraham and Astronomy
Nonbiblical traditions are replete with stories of
Abraham gaining and sharing his knowledge of the
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heavens. For instance, Artapanus (ca. 100 B.C.) said
that Abrahamcame to Egyptwith all his household
to the Egyptian king Pharethothes, and taught him
astrology (i.e., astronomy).7 In another early Jewish
text attributed to Eupolemus, who often quoted
Artapanus, we read, Abraham excelled all in
nobility and wisdom; he sought and obtained theknowledge of astrology and the Chaldean craft.8
Muslims, who were probably originally inspired by
Judaism, give a little more variation to this theme. In
most of their traditions, Abraham, upon leaving the
cave in which he grew up, sees a bright planet such as
Venus or Jupiter and exclaims, This is my Lord!
When the planet moves out of view, Abraham
concludes that this could not be God. He then sees the
brighter moon and exclaims, This is my Lord! with
the same results. Finally, Abraham sees the sun and
goes through the same process. Abraham learns that
none of these is God but that God alone controls them
all. In theRecognitions of Clement(chapter 32), anearly Christian text, Abraham is an astronomer who
was able, from the account and order of the stars, to
recognize the Creator, while others were in error, and
understood that all things are regulated by His
providence. Some of the traditions also suggest that
Abraham taught astronomy to the Egyptians, had
knowledge of the Creation, and saw premortal
spirits.9
Abraham on a Kings Throne
One of the most unique elements in the Book of
Abraham is Abraham sitting on Pharaohs throne
(Facsimile 3). Although circumstances differ in
nonbiblical traditions, several texts suggest or imply
that Abraham was allowed to sit on the throne of a
king. In a Jewish midrashic commentary on the
biblical phrase the valley of Shaveh, which is the
kings dale (Gen 14:17), it is noted that it was so
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7 For most people in antiquity, astrology
and astronomy were the same science.
8 Eupolemus 3.
9
For examples of Abraham teachingastronomy to the Egyptians, see Josephus, Antiquities
of the Jews, 1.8.2; Syncellus 5. For the Creation, see
Jubilees 12.19; al-Thalabi 2.1. For premortality, see
Apocalypse of Abraham19.67; 21.722.5; and
al-Tabari, 216. SeeTraditions about Abrahamfor these
and other examples.
called because there all the peoples of the world
became unanimous and said to Abraham: Thou art
king over us, thou art a god to us. But he replied: The
world does not lack its king and the world does not
lack its god.10 A more direct example of Abraham
sitting on a kings throne comes from al-Rabghuzi, a
Turkish Muslim, who relates that when the Egyptian
king desired Abrahams wife, The king seatedAbraham on a throne, and Sarah sat down close to
him.11 Later, as Abraham was about to leave Egypt,
the king said: Stay with me, and I will grant you the
kingship over Egypt; I will be your servant.12
Conclusion
As we have seen, nonbiblical traditions from Judaism,
Islam, and Christianity lend varying degrees of
support to the Book of Abraham as an ancient text.
Over the past several years as I have analyzed and
compared these and other nonbiblical traditions with
the Book of Abraham, I have been impressed that most
of the unique elements in the Book of Abraham can besupported to one degree or another by nonscriptural
traditions. I find that this makes not only a strong
statement about the antiquity of the Book of
Abraham, but it also says much about the inspiration
of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The majority of these
traditions were not available to the Prophet during
his lifetime. Looking at the Book of Abraham within
the context of nonbiblical tradition underscores the
influence this great patriarch, Abraham, has had
upon ancient and modern peoples. For the Latter-day
Saint, the unique aspects of the Book of Abraham can
greatly assist in following the Lords modern
injunction to go ye, therefore, and do the works of
Abraham (D&C 132:32).
10Midrash RabbahGen 42:5. See also Midrash
RabbahGen 55:6; Deut 2:33; Eccl 4:14.
11Al-Rabghuzi, 65.
12 Ibid., 69.
brian_hauglid@byu.edu
mailto:brian_hauglid@byu.edumailto:brian_hauglid@byu.edu
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